One thing that’s definitely been hammered home in the last week or so with the deaths of Michael Jackson and Steve McNair, is that we never tell folks how much they mean to us before it’s too late. This is true on a personal level when dealing with our own family, but it’s also true for public figures and the way they’re handled in the media.

While ESPN was making the rounds getting player reactions to the passing of Steve McNair, Hall Of Fame quarterback Steve Young was quoted as saying “you couldn’t find 5 guys who could do all the things Steve McNair could do on the field.” Those are HUGE words, especially coming from a guy who’s considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but it also stings that you’d never hear anything like this in the media while McNair was still alive. Sure, the sports media gave McNair plenty of props for being tough and hard working, but those things don’t really speak for the technical skill he displayed at the quarterback position. That type of praise is usually limited to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Steve McNair could be a classic drop back QB, he could take off with his feet and make you miss, or he could simply run over linebackers with brute strength.

While the rest of the media and blogosphere are currently going crazy digging for details of how and why McNair died, I find myself simply not caring how it unfolded. The bottom line is that a man that pretty much everyone considered to be a great dude is gone. I hope the police find the person who did this and bring them to justice, but outside of that… it really doesn’t matter.

As far as blogging goes, the last week has shown me that I should spend less time caught up in the bullshit and learn how to write about who I appreciate sometimes and why. I’m not suggesting everyone hold hands and sing Kumbaya just because someone died, but it really wouldn’t hurt to speak good of the folks who deserve it every now and then.